The present invention relates generally to vehicle luggage carriers and more particularly to a new and improved cross rail for vehicle luggage carriers shown in the applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,099,658 and Ser. No. 57,346, filed July 13, 1979. More specifically, the improved cross rail is to be used with luggage carriers of the type comprising two or more slat-type elements which are fixedly secured to an exterior horizontal surface of a vehicle, such as the trunk lid or vehicle roof, and which are permanently attached thereto and adapted to have ancillary article constraining members removably and adjustably secured thereto.
The cross rail of the present invention is specifically designed as an improved cross rail which also incorporates the object of adjustably securing article restraining members, such as tie downs, utility bars or rails, to the luggage carrier system, and also may secure ancillary article carrying equipment, such as ski racks, bicycle racks and the like to the luggage carrier system.
Wind resistance is a significant consideration in the field of luggage carriers for vehicles, particularly due to the effect that wind resistance due to luggage carrier has in decreasing the full economy of the vehicle to which the luggage carrier is attached. Thus, another object of the present invention is to provide a cross rail having a channel to provide the above advantages while also having a contoured aerodynamic transverse cross-section having a leading edge to diminish the wind resistance of the cross rail attendant to the movement of the vehicle. Yet another object is to provide the above contoured cross-section and the channel while also providing sufficient strength along the length of the cross rail to prevent the cross rail from collapsing or crushing under loads normally carried upon the above described luggage carrier systems.
A further important consideration in the manufacture of luggage carriers, and in particular cross rails having all the features of the present invention, is to provide a cross rail that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, convenient to use and also which is durable, aesthetically appealing, and light in weight. A significant advantage of the construction of the present invention is that the construction permits the cross rail to be roll formed with a lamination of two different materials, an outer skin of an aesthetically appealing relatively more expensive material and a less expensive inner material.